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A scenic hot air balloon ride in southern Nevada turned into a nightmare Thursday morning when the aircraft crashed hard in a remote desert area, leaving 10 people seriously injured — including one passenger in critical condition with a severe head injury.

The balloon “landed hard” around 7 a.m. in the Stewart Valley Dry Lake Bed west of Pahrump, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Nye County Sheriff’s Office officials reported multiple passengers suffering second- and third-degree burns, blunt force trauma, and other injuries after the basket tumbled upon impact.

Sheriff Joe McGill described the chaos, noting that the occupants fell on top of each other during the landing, accidentally bumping the gas actuator and igniting flames.

“They come down all the time. They fly out here almost daily, but this is the first time I can recall having injuries like this,” McGill told local media.

Emergency crews rushed to the remote location after receiving a 911 text (cell service was nearly nonexistent), and the FAA has launched a full investigation into the cause. No fatalities have been reported.

Hot air balloon rides are marketed as peaceful, breathtaking adventures — especially popular in the scenic Nevada desert near Las Vegas. That’s what makes this violent crash so shocking and concerning. The fact that flames erupted during the hard landing adds a terrifying element, turning what should have been a joyful experience into a scene of burns, trauma, and emergency response.

This incident raises serious questions about safety protocols for commercial balloon operations in remote areas, particularly as tourism in these desert regions continues to grow. While ballooning is generally considered safe, events like this serve as a stark reminder that even routine flights carry inherent risks when mechanical issues or pilot error come into play.

As investigators work to determine exactly what went wrong, the victims and their families are left dealing with the physical and emotional aftermath of a morning that went horribly wrong high above the Nevada desert.